Heart-Shaped Box
by WraithLoverQueen
Summary: Dwayne is feeling awkward and insecure in his new roll as Chris' boyfriend. He feels trapped, happy, scared, and just very confused. He's out of his element and so very lost. Chris has never been happier in his life. He thinks Dwayne's happy too. He's never been wrong before when it comes to Dwayne, right? Part 3 of Cemetery sweethearts


A/n: I am so, so sorry this one took so long. I usually write them in class but with the holiday I wasn't in class much and was finding it hard to focus on writing. I wanted the in-story timeline to span more than a day and a half but they're a very important day and a half so oh well. Plus, I was really hoping to get this out before the new episode; thank you network... **Anyways, warning, rather sappy. So sorry!**

Also, as one of the few people it seems to write this couple, I throw in my vote that Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros becomes their shipping theme.

Disclaimer: I own nothin'

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 **Day 4 - Late Afternoon**

The sound of a loud yawn echoed through the silent NCIS office. The sound was followed by the moan from a much needed stretch. The events of the day had been exhausting and stressful on coiled muscles. The emotional turmoil had been quite draining.

LaSalle's eyes slipped closed as he stretched out his arms, rolling his shoulders forward. His muscles ached despite not doing anything too straining today. Though, having his body stiffen and ready to attack earlier had really messed things up inside. He usually handled situations better, but most situations did not involve a vulnerable Pride in harm's way.

He hissed softly and shook his head, ridding his mind of the memories. He instead focused on cleaning his work station as he listened to Pride cooking them dinner. His insides warmed at the thought, he had always loved it when his girlfriends made him dinner but somehow it felt far more intense now that Pride was the one cooking. Suddenly, dinner felt like the most important thing in the world. How could one person make him feel this way?

He put the last of his things away in the desk drawers before turning to the kitchen. A smile crawled onto his face as he headed over. He felt warmer the closer he got and he doubted it was the actual cooking. He doubted the hotest food in the world could make him feel like this.

He walked over to the cooking island and leaned against it, simply watching Pride. The older man shifted under his gaze and looked back at him curiously. A silent blink asked what Chris wanted and the grin he got in reply from Chris only made the older man shyly duck his head before returning to the food. Chris frowned softly as he thought he saw something flash in his best friend's eye. The worry it brought filled him with the urge to ease whatever was wrong.

He hesitantly walked up behind Dwayne and gently wrapped his arms around the other man's waist. He pressed his nose to his love's silvering hair as his fingers gently splayed over the strong stomach muscles hidden by the loose button up shirt. He pressed a soft kiss to Dwayne's hair and sighed softly.

"King, ya sure yer awlright? Somethin' seems off." All his worry and love echoed in his words. Dwayne felt his heart clench and his stomach drop. His own worries and confusion about his new situation were bleeding through his quiet moments. He was upsetting Chris, which is what he wanted to prevent in the first place.

"E'erythin's awlright, Chris." He cringed internally, it felt like that was all he said to the younger man lately, "Jus' thinkin' the case o'er. Ah gotta check in with Sebastian tamorrow 'bout tha' reagent he found."

Dwayne forced a small smile as he leaned back into Chris' embrace. He hummed softly and slumped slightly into the strong arms as he stirred the food on the stove. He loved the way it felt to be held, which honestly took him by surprise, but his stomach was churning with the lie he had just told. He just could not bare to tell him that he had been contemplating his own fears about their relationship and what little he was bringing to it.

"Really? Ah can take care of tha' fer ya tamorrow." Chris quickly offered, having fallen for Dwayne's worrisome fib. He hummed against the soft silver hair, liking that his partner was relaxing in his arms.

"No, it's fine. Ah need ta speak with Loretta as well. Ah'm sure you an' the girls have enough to do."

"Awlright, if'n yer sure, King." Dwayne nodded weakly in reply. He gently brushed his fingers over Chris' hands to gently get him to let go.

"Ah'm sure. Dinner's ready." Chris smiled brightly and unwrapped his arms. He pulled away to grab the bowls they needed as Dwayne turned off the stove. The older man served their meal as the younger man set the table, just happy to help.

Conversation over dinner was simple and came as easily as it always did. Topics spanned from work to family to irritating city officials. The meal was heart lightening for both men as they simply relaxed and enjoyed each other's company.

As the meal and conversation headed towards its end, Chris' mood started to dampen slightly. His companion frowned softly as he removed their dishes. He turned towards Chris as the young man stood to help clean. Dwayne was filled with the need to brighten his mood once more and tried to think of a way to go about it. A smile pulled at his lips as it came to him. He gently took the younger agent's hand as they finished cleaning.

"Chris?" The question was barely a whisper as he was unsure this was the right thing. Chris simply blinked in surprise, confused.

"Yes, King?"

"Would you like to learn piano?"

"Wha'?" The question was a bit of a shock, having nothing to do with any of their dinner conversations.

"Would you like to learn piano?" Chris' face heated up at the question. Knowing how to play music was very common in New Orleans yet to Chris, in his little makeshift family view, playing music was a sacred trait of the Pride family. Being offered to be taught by Dwayne felt like he was being welcomed into a deeper part of their relationship.

"Ah'd love ta, King! Pro'lly ain't any good but Ah'd sure love ta try."

"Great. Meet me upstairs, Ah jus' gotta put away a few more thin's." Dwayne smiled happily, glad his offer was taken. He leaned in and gave the younger man a quick peck on the lips before sending him off. The rest of the cleaning was done in a slight daze.

 _ **~*~NCIS~*~**_

Chris sat on the piano bench, toes bouncing slightly by the pedals. His heart was pounding slightly with nerves. He wanted to do this but was scared of failing. What if he was terrible and ended up upsetting Dwayne? He did not want to insult his love with terrible playing.

His pulse shot up for a second as he heard Dwayne enter and close the door. He stiffened slightly, refusing to turn around and look at the other man. Fear about disappointing him filled Chris as he worried his bottom lip with his teeth.

"Chris, you awlright?" The young man dipped his head and nodded weakly. He fidgeting fingers brushed over a few keys at Middle C. He finally looked up at Dwayne as the other man came up to the piano bench.

"Guessin' Ah'm jus' worried 'bout disappointin' ya." The honest worry in the words made Dwayne swallow thickly.

 _'Ah should be the one thinkin' that not you, Chris.'_ The older agent thought to himself as he took a seat next to his companion. He smiled reassuringly as he tenderly took Chris' fidgeting hand in his.

"Guess Ah'll jus' have to teach you right then." He smiled lovingly and tenderly kissed his worried love. Chris responded with a blissful hum as he relaxed slightly. The younger man smiled brightly when the kiss broke as Dwayne moved so they were hip to hip. The older agent wrapped an arm around him to rest his hand atop of Chris'. The younger agent leaned into him when both his hands were under Dwayne's.

They both knew this was not the proper way to teach piano but the intimacy of the position was heartening. Dwayne gave soft instructions before moving their fingers as a mirror image while he taught each main key at Middle C. They moved together perfectly with each tiny lesson, each movement in unison making Chris' heart pound with something other than nerves.

Dwayne's soothing voice as he lovingly taught each key was like a siren song. Chris found himself swimming in the resulting daze, each lesson oddly sticking in his head. He found himself purposely messing up when he liked a particular hand movement so Dwayne would have to show him again.

The intimacy soon grew too strong for the young man. He moaned softly as he locked his fingers around Dwayne's before turning and pressing a hard kiss to his lips. The older man responded compliantly by opening his mouth. Chris thought he saw something flash in his eyes for a split second but the pale eyes close too quickly to check.

Dwayne moaned softly in a mix of pleasure and confusion. The kiss still felt strange and uncomfortable yet it was definitely stirring something intimate and warm inside him. He could not say he despised the deep kisses. Yes, they were physically unpleasant still but the emotional stimulation was oddly pleasantly addictive. He found himself torn between wanting more and wanting them to stop all together. A wish nagged at his brain that he was not still trapped in this limbo if ever they became more physically intimate than just kissing.

Chris released Dwayne's hands to grab the older man's shirt. He pressed closer, conveying every drop of love and admiration he felt as he pressed his tongue deeper and tried to engage Dwayne's. His hands released the shirt to explore the strong chest as he felt his love finally respond.

His hands subconsciously brushed lower. One ended up on Dwayne's wound while the other ended up stopping just atop of his belt buckle. The older agent's stomach twisted nervously in his pleasure-induced daze at the position of the hands. He swallowed thickly with mixed feelings, knowing in this state he would never deny Chris anything he asked for. He shivered slightly with an unknown feeling as Chris groaned in aroused frustration as his phone went off.

The two quickly pulled apart as Chris snatched up his phone. Both men were panting heavily as he answered without looking. His work greeting came out sounding raspy and frustrated.

"LaSalle!"

"Hey, Little Brother! Ah was thinkin' we shoul' redo tha' lil' talk. Ya busy?" Chris' eyes slipped closed as he gave a dumbfounded giggle of aggravation at the sound of his brother's subdued and in-control voice. They had been waiting for his mood to swing this way so they could talk properly and it could not come at a worse time.

Chris groaned as he opened his eyes and looked at Dwayne. The older man was still catching his breath, lips red and bruised from the hard kisses. Chris flushed at the sight but groaned again as Dwayne nodded in reply to Cade's question, having heard it through the loud speaker setting.

"Yah, nah. Now's good. Ah'll be on my way home in a minute. Meet me there." He sighed softly as he hung up the call. He swallowed thickly as he looked sheepishly at Dwayne. He gave the other man a soft apologetic smile. He reached out and linked their fingers, leaning in for a gentle kiss before Dwayne reluctantly pulled away.

"you best be goin'. Don' pass up this opportunity." Chris whined in response but nodded dejectedly.

The younger man got off the bench as comfortably as he could, letting go of Dwayne's hand. The two gave quick goodbyes as Chris rushed out the door. Dwayne sighed as he watched him go before carefully slumping against the piano. His heart was racing as anxious thoughts rushed through his mind. He was struggling with his sense of loss and the realization that his body was completely ready to follow along with any of Chris' desires even if his head wasn't. What was he going to do about this? Why did reluctance have to plague his mind?

 **Day 5**

Friday morning found LaSalle as being rather chipper on his way to work. His talk with his brother had gone much better than the previous one. The two had worked on several issues and Cade had even deduced that his little brother even had a new sweetheart. Chris had flushed brightly at the title for Dwayne and quickly changed the subject.

His behavior worried him. He had no issue when Brody found out, why did the thought of Cade or their mother finding out scare him? He was not ashamed of loving Dwayne, far from it. The man had rescued him from being a horrible person. So why so scared?

He shook his head, refusing to let fear ruin his good mood. He was looking forward to seeing the team, Dwayne's ducklings having finally agreed that their boss had rested enough to leave the office today. It lightened Chris' heart to know that his love's wound was healing and would stop hurting soon.

Chris' hands tightened their grip on the wheel of his truck suddenly. He felt very uncomfortable. There had been two purposeful attempts on Dwayne's life in four days. Just who was behind it and would they try again. His stomached flipped, he knew that Dwayne would never go for a protection detail. He would just want to live his life since the threats were far from professional hits.

His mind was dragged from the sour thoughts as he parked. He took a deep breath to calm himself and exited his truck. He locked up and headed inside. He smiled brightly, heart pounding as his mind filled with memories of the previous night. His happy entrance catching Dwayne's attention from where he was working at his desk, a smile greeting Chris.

Chris headed over to the desk. He leaned against the side as Dwayne went back to his papers. The younger agent simply watched. He reached out and lovingly carded his fingers through the silvering hair of his love. He had spent ten years watching the silver of the forelock at the center of Dwayne's forehead slowly spread to the rest of his hair. The younger agent thought it made his love look handsomer with each passing year but he had never seen just how handsome until now. How could he be so blessed to get this man all to himself?

Dwayne swallowed at the lump in his throat as he felt Chris begin to play with his hair. His stomach flipped and his pulse quickened, though not in an endearing way. He had been going grey since his thirties and it had not bothered him in decades. Though, now, with Chris focusing so intensely on it, he felt self-conscious for the first time in years.

Chris felt Dwayne shift uncomfortably under his touches. Not wanting to upset him, he was confused as to what was setting him off, he brushed his fingers through the silky silver once more before pulling his hand away. He shifted and stopped Dwayne's hand on the paperwork. He gently guided the other man to sit back in the chair. They had a good half hour before the girls usually showed up and Chris wanted to use that time to say good morning.

He smiled softly at the other man and climbed onto his lap. This location was becoming his new favorite place to sit. He breathed happily and snuggled against Dwayne's chest. The older man smiled softly, wrapping his arms lovingly around Chris. The two sat there in their closeness as Chris readied himself for the day emotionally. He felt so calm and happy in his best friend's arms. It hurt to know what he had been missing for ten years but he knew he would never have stolen his love from his family so there was no point wondering.

He moved his head up and pressed their foreheads together. He brushed their lips together for a tender second before pulling away slightly.

"Mornin', 'andsome." the words were whispered lovingly and he could feel Dwayne's face heat up. Worry filled him as Dwayne smiled shyly and looked away.

"Mornin', Chris. Rest well?"

"Won'erful. Between our lil' date night an' a good talk with Cade, nothin' was gonna ruin mah night." The older man's smile turned sweet and happy at the news, he was genuinely happy for the younger man, "Yu, King?"

"Ah slept very well. Ah'm feelin' much better today, side barely hurts at all." Chris smiled brightly at the reply and pressed a harder kiss to the other man's lips. He watched Dwayne lovingly as the older man opened his mouth. It struck Chris as strange that he never had to ask for entrance to his love's wondrous mouth, the other man just open it on an obedient response. The thought was kind of worrisome but Chris took the opportunity anyways and easily deepened the kiss.

Chris' attentive training drew his focus to how his love closed his eyes before grimacing slightly. The younger man's stomach churned at the sight and a new fear wiggled its slimy way into his brain. He tested his new theory by lovingly stroking and engaging his partner's tongue with his own. He watched Dwayne grimace slightly again but comply.

Chris felt a bit sick as his theory proved true, his love was not enjoying the kiss and was forcing himself to indulge Chris. The realization made Chris' heart hurt and his stomach clench. Pleasure-hazed memories filled his mind, making him realize that Dwayne had been this uncomfortable for every deep kiss like this but had soldiered through for Chris.

Furious with himself for not noticing and upset with Dwayne for simply complying, he sucked his own tongue back into his mouth and clenched his teeth shut afterwards. He pulled back slightly, watching Dwayne open confused and slightly dazed pale eyes. The older man looked at him questioningly, their kisses never ended that quickly. The older man watched the younger one frown, Chris translated their silent language to Dwayne asking if he had done something wrong.

Anger, a bit of hurt, and guilt burned in Chris' gut. He frowned deeper at his partner, staring him in the eye. He cupped his face and was about to say something to him when they suddenly heard the girls talking outside the door. Neither man wanted to be seen in this disagreement.

"We're talkin' 'bout this later, King." Chris whispered as he climbed off the other man's lap. He took Dwayne's hand in his, squeezing it lovingly to show they were going to be fine before he pulled away to greet the girls.

Dwayne watched him walk over and begin to talk to their female members. The older agent frowned slightly. Chris had been upset with him but he could not understand why. The younger agent had seemed quite content just moments before.

 _ **~*~NCIS~*~**_

Work proceeded as usual. The team formed jobs and leads then split apart to fulfill their specific jobs to see if they could get answers. Dwayne was glad to get out of the office because the drive to see Loretta and Sebastian helped to calm his nerves. He was still concerned about what had happened this morning and needed someone to talk to about it. The day's workload was rather light for him and his old friend, providing him plenty of time to spill his feelings to her.

He sighed as he pulled into the parking spot. He got out and locked up before heading into the building. He slipped off his sunglasses as he stepped inside, hooking them onto the collar of his shirt as he headed for Sebastian's lab to get that out of the way first. He needed to see what details the scatter-brained young man had for him. He was worried about the reagent that had been found in the girl's system and really did not need it hanging over his head with all the other problems he was having.

He blinked slowly as he entered the lab. He saw the young man glaring at his computer as he typed away. The young man seemed to be having a rough time dealing with something he was working on.

"E'erythin' awlright, Sebastian?" He watched as the young man jumped slightly in surprise, he really had to have the kid pay more attention to his surroundings. Despite this, he got a smile in greeting. The scientist quickly waved him over.

"Pride! So glad you're here! I figured out what we have. It took a while because it's not used often so most people don't look for it!" He pouted suddenly and tapped at his keyboard, "Sorry, this thing's been acting up all morning. Alright, anyway, that reagent I found is actually a type of deadly toxin! I mean, it's like super bad. Just getting the powder on your skin can really mess you up, not pretty. It's actually a white powder, which could really mess someone up if they decided to like use it to cut drugs as a means to kill people. I mean, that's not what happened here but just think of all the trouble it'd caus-!" Dwayne quickly cut him off by raising a hand, feeling like his brain was being tied in knots with how fast the kid was speaking in circles. He smiled weakly as Sebastion snapped his mouth shut and nodded, "Right. Just the facts."

"Thank you. Go on."

"Right! Well, the stuff is called Tetrodotoxin. It's a lethal toxin that can cause paralysis in super small doses but mess up how much and you kill the recipient." He grinned and rubbed his hands together, "Fun fact about the stuff: it's the poison used by witchdoctors to make zombies!"

"Why? Wha' does it do when it's not killin' you that makes it good for that?" Dwayne asked cautiously, he found he did not like where this conversation was going.

"Well, like I said, it paralyzes but the effects are kinda freaky. You see, it does its job so well that people often mistake the victim for dead. It slows the vitals so much that they're pretty much non-existent, leaving them only just barely alive. I think maybe that's the effect they wanted in the drug Ms. Torress took but someone measured it wrong and put way too much. Because there was no way she overdosed on the main drug, she took too little of it." The young man shifted uncomfortably and bit his lip, "Dwayne, there is one more thing I found on my search."

"Yes?"

"It wasn't just the Tetrodotoxin that was added to the mix. I found another thing."

"Which was?" Dwayne urged him gently, not liking how upset the kid was getting. He watched the younger man fidget nervously, making his own stomach twist.

"There was also what's commonly referred to as 'zombie cucumbers' added into the drug mix. They were the second part of the witchdoctor's zombie recipe. They're a psychoactive drug that makes a person very compliant after severe trauma, trauma induced by the zombie state." Sebastian swallowed thickly, worrying his lip worse, "Whoever's making this new mix is doing it on purpose. I think they're trying to make zombies just like the old witchdoctors." Dwayne frowned at the conclusion the young scientist came to. Usually he would have dismissed the insane sounding theory but the pieces fit together a little too well to be bunk. He swallowed down his protest and nodded slowly, resting a hand on Sebastian's shoulder.

"Thank you, Sebastian. I'll keep that in mind while we're lookin'. Can you track where they got the ingredients?" Sebastian's shoulders slumped at the question and he shook his head slightly.

"I'm not sure. I can try. The problem is, these are natural based toxins that came from living organisms, they're not synthetic so I can't just track down what companies sell them. The people making this drug might have their own natural source but since the Tetrodotoxin comes from certain pufferfish, maybe I can track that." Dwayne smiled encouragingly at this and nodded, squeezing the kid's shoulder.

"Try yer best, that's all I ask, Seb. Keep at it, Ah gotta talk to Loretta. If'n you find anything else, text it to Chris."

"Yeah, sure, alright." Sebastian replied softly as Dwayne turned to leave. The implications of zombies that were actually poor living people made the scientist squirm with worry.

 _ **~*~NCIS~*~**_

Dwayne sighed softly as he slipped into Loretta's medical office. His mind was racing between zombies and personal issues. He stuffed down the sci-fi insanity, needing to focus on what was happening with Chris. He looked around to make sure Loretta was alone in the room before locking the door. He slumped against the solid surface, his pulse flowing uncomfortably in his veins with all his worries. His nerves felt frazzled as he went over the things that he was going to express to his old friend.

"Dwayne, you alright?" His friend asked softly from where she was working on a body for another office. She paused slightly at the sound of distress he made before whispering.

"Tha's a bit of a loaded question, 'retta." Dwayne swallowed thickly as he answered her. He was feeling a bit anxious about explaining to her his new relationship. She was his oldest friend and was extremely understanding, same gender relations not a real issue but it still frightened him. He was just not sure how to tell her he stepped into this situation with no sexual attraction or official romantic love, but that he had done it because his heart told him it was the right thing to do.

"Hmm? Quite the predicament you found yourself in? What can Ah do to help?" Loretta stopped her work and slowly removed her gloves. She placed them on the table and escaped her filthy smock before turning to face him. She headed over to her desk, gently motioning for him to follow her.

He gladly followed her and leaned against her desk as she sat down. He gave her a weak smile and got an encouraging one in return as she gently rested a hand on his knee in a comforting gesture. Her free hand took one of his, rubbing her thumb in a soothing circle over his knuckles. His smile brightened slightly as their eyes met.

"Go along then. Tell me what's bothering you." She squeezed his hand encouragingly. She was a bit concerned about how he was acting. He was usually more open when it came to emotions, except for certain rare cases. Him reacting like this was very out of character. Though, she relaxed slightly as he made eye contact again and began to speak softly.

"Been quite a while, Loretta, but Ah'm havin' a bit of trouble with a new relationship." Loretta caught herself blinking in surprise. A smile warmed her dark lips as she squeezed his hand again.

"Really? So, who's the lucky lady, Dwayne?" It was not often that she saw her old friend embarrassed but when she did, it was quite the sight. She always found him to be adorable when his face turned red. Though, now the embarrassed look was a bit different as he broke eye contact. Loretta's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise but her eyes held no judgement, only the love of a sister figure.

"Well now, Dwayne Pride, this is quite the surprise."

"Indeed it was."

"Anyone Ah know?"

"Yes." Dwayne chanced a glance at her and smiled softly, "And Ah know Ah made the righ' choice e'en though Ah'm feelin' a bit conflicted 'bout all of this."

"Do you know why you feel that way?" She gently squeezed his knee as he shifted anxiously.

"To be bluntly honest, Ah don' think Ah'm any good for 'im. He deserves better." As the words left him, a righteous anger burned in Loretta's heart. She reached up and gently gripped his chin, forcing him to look her in the eye.

"Now, you stop thinkin' like that this instant, Dwayne! You are a wonderful, loving, caring man that anyone, man or woman, would be considered blessed to have at their side. It's e'eryone else in the world that needs to work to deserve you." He blinked rapidly in shock at the protective anger that was heard in her voice. He suddenly felt very shy and flattered by her strong opinion.

"Awlright. Perhaps not better but definitely different. Someone younger, closer to his own age. Ah'm almost thirty years older'n him. Ah've already had a family, raised a child. If'n he stays with me, he won't e'er get than chance." The soft smile pulled at Loretta's lips once more as all the clues fell into place and realization dawned in her dark eyes. She released his face and kissed his knuckles.

"Sweetheart, Ah think you're thinking with your head and not your heart. Logical thinking and the worries that come with it have very little place in the early stages of love. He's not a child and can make his own choice, that choice jus' happens to be you." She stood up and kissed his forehead lovingly, "Also, Christopher already knows the joys and hassles of raising a child. You two have been friends for a very long time, providing him endless time to help you raise Laurel. You've already given him the experience of raising a family without even trying." Dwayne blinked at her, making her scoff playfully as she patted his hand.

"Don't think so little of my deduction skills. Ah know you almost better than you know yourself. There's only one young man you'd give yourself, body and soul, to. That young man would be Christopher." She smiled softly and linked their fingers together, worry showed in her eyes as she inquired softly.

"Dwayne, You're the sun and moon to that child. What makes you believe something as foolish as you not being good enough for him? Has he said anything?" Dwayne looked away as he shook his head. He squeezed her hand weakly as he dipped his head, free hand brushing through his dulled hair.

"No. 'e hasn' said anything. If'n anythin', he seems more happy now than he has in months."

"Then what is the matter?"

"Ah don't know. Ah thin' tha' the problem's me." He willed for the heat in his face to go away but it refused, he had not felt this way in years and it was very uncomfortable, "This is all so new to me an' Ah'm feelin' a bit out of sorts, inefficient really. Take this mornin'. Ah felt self-conscious about the lack of color in my hair for the first time in years."

"Why? You look very handsome."

"Awlright, tha's enough flattery out of you." The two shared a small smile before Dwayne continued, shaking his head at her playful attitude, "But, Ah'm guessin' wha' Ah tryin' to say is that Ah feel far too old and out of place to be with him."

"Do you enjoy being with him?"

"Yes?"

"An' he with you?"

"Very much so. Seems to gravitate towards me even more than usual."

"and the problem then?"

"Ah'm not sure, feel wrong." He sighed roughly, his fingers over their linked ones, "This mornin' when he came in to work, he came over to my desk to say good mornin'. Ah was working so he simply leaned on my desk and began to play with my hair."

"A common thing to do to someone you love, Dwayne."

"Ah know. It's jus' that my hair held his entire focus. He seemed fascinated while Ah suddenly began to unconsciously panic over just how much my hair says about my age. Ah shifted uncomfortably and he freaked out, pulling his hand away. Ah ne'er meant to upset him." Loretta frowned softly as she watched him. She could tell this was not the end of the story, he was leaving something out.

"that could be concerning. Did anything else happen?" Dwayne dipped his head in reply to the question, focus entirely on their hands in his lap.

"Chris crawled onto my lap like 'e's been doing for the past couple days. We kissed and Ah must have done somethin' wrong because he got upset again. Though, it was strange, he looked like he was more mad at himself than me."

"Have you two talked 'bout it?"

"No. The girls came in and we had to get to work." Loretta nodded as she listened. Her heart hurt for her friend that he suddenly thought so low of himself due to a new situation. though, there had to be more to it than that. It seemed as if he was frightened of Chris' real thoughts about him more than simply being self-conscious all together, secretly seeking his young love's approval. Her dear friend so desperately wanted to be perfect for Chris, wanted to be everything the young man dreamed of.

"Dwayne, Ah think you're scared." He looked up at her in confusion, there was no resentment at the observation; only a need for answers, "You want to be e'erything he wants, to be perfect. The problem is you don' know what he sees as perfection so you're left lost and scared that you're not going to be good enough." She moved to his side and pulled him into her arms. She gave a sisterly kiss to his forehead, holding him close.

"You need to talk to Chris. Let him show you how he sees you." She pressed her nose to his hair and gently touched a few of the lines on his face, "You've become his world since you took him under your wing all those years ago."

"Ah feel like my own heart has me boxed in."

"A heart-shaped box's true purpose is to hold keepsakes from sweethearts, Dwayne. Let your heart become the proper kind of box, to hold all the love he has for you. Talk with him, tell him your fears and discomforts. Love compromises and works to drive out the fear. Give yourselves a little talk and a little time, then it'll all work out because that's what you two do best." Dwayne sighed softly, body relaxing into his friend's embrace. He nodded slowly and kissed her hand.

"You're right. He wanted to talk tonight. Tha's as good a time as any, Ah suppose." The two shared a slight smile before she moved so he could stand. He hugged her before turning to go so they could go back to work.

 ** _~*~NCIS~*~_**

Dwayne's stomach churned painfully as the day pulled towards evening. Chris had been giving him guilty secret looks all day but made everything seem normal in front of the girls. Now Dwayne was left watching his team pack up to go home.

The team was going to meet at the bar in a few hours for a new Friday night ritual. He hoped that gave him enough time to talk to Chris and patch up whatever he messed up.

He smiled and gave a small wave to the girls as they headed out the door. He swallowed thickly and slowly got up from his chair. He took a calming breath as he walked over to Chris' desk. The younger agent looked up from his paperwork. All the love he held for Dwayne shimmered in his eyes. He put his pen down and stood up to meet his best friend.

"'ey, King. How're ya feelin' today?" Chris asked softly, ghosting his fingers over the hidden, still healing wound. He gave a worried smile and pulled close. Dwayne used the position to lean in for a kiss but Chris purposely turned his face so Dwayne only kissed his cheek. The older man frowned softly but ignored it to nuzzle Chris' hair.

"Ah feel much better, Chris." He kissed his partner's short hair, hands coming up to rub the other man's arms, "We need to talk." Chris nodded slowly as his arms came up, wrapping around Dwayne in a hug. He pressed close, nose to the older man's warm throat. He breathed in the comforting scent of his guardian angel, trying to find the courage for this talk and whatever might come with it. Dwayne's eyes slipped close as he felt Chris' fear and sorrow. He cradled the younger man close, hands rubbing soothing circles in the young man's strong back. He kissed his friend's hair gently to reassure him.

"This is not the end, Chris. It's jus' a talk." He tenderly raised the younger man's chin, he brushed their lips together in a tender, innocent kiss. The kiss continued, slow and sweet, both men relaxing little by little. A soft purr-like sound escaped Chris as he pressed himself as close as he could to Dwayne. He sucked Dwayne's bottom lip, ignoring the invitation when the other man opened his mouth for Chris. He instead dipped his nose under Dwayne's chin, giving his skin soft nips and kisses. His hand reached up and tangled gently in the soft silvering hair, tugging softly to force the other man's head back. Dwayne gasped softly in shock as Chris nosed his shirt collar aside to gently bite a hickey into the injunction between neck and shoulder.

"Yer not fer hire, King. Yu don' have ta do anythin' fer me tha' makes ya uncomfortable." The loving words were whispered against the hot skin, Chris soothing the bite with a soft lick and kiss before moving up to nuzzle Dwayne's ear. The older man hummed in pleasure as Chris continued to talk, "Yer givin' me the world jus' by making this relationship, Ah don' need any extras. So, ya jus' keep yer mouth closed until yer ready, King." Chris shifted his head and brushed their lips together again. He growled happily and let go of Dwayne's hair, instead just stroking the soft strands. His free hand took one of Dwayne's and lead him on the twisting journey to the bedroom. Dwayne felt dazed with pleasure as he followed obediently, face hot as he could still feel the mark on his skin. He would need to button up his collar at the bar tonight.

The trip up the stairs and into the bedroom had gone quite quickly. Chris moved Dwayne to the bed, wanting the older man to rest after such a long day. Chris removed their shoes and crawled in next to Dwayne, suddenly pulling the other man into his arms. The two laughed softly as Chris held him close, nose buried into the silver hair and never wanting to let him go.

"Ah love ya, King." The younger agent whispered tenderly as the elder one pressed into the embrace.

"An' Ah you, Chris." Dwayne shifted his head to the side, letting Chris nuzzle his ear easier.

"King, time fer 'fessin'. Why're ya actin' so off around my affection this mornin'?" Dwayne nervously swallowed at the lump in his throat at the question. He was feeling scared about exposing his fears. He squirmed slightly as Chris place a kiss behind his ear.

"Are you sure tha' you want me, Chris? You could find someone else that fits your needs much better." Chris' eyes widened as he heard the words in barely a whisper. His stomach rolled with anger. He suddenly moved his partner to the bed so he was laying on his back with Chris kneeling over him.

"How coul' ya ask me tha', Dwayne? Why'n earth woul' Ah pick someone else when Ah have the perfect match righ' here?" Dwayne blinked slowly as he looked to the side.

"Chris, Ah'm a man tha's almost thirty years older than you. There's a lot of thin's Ah can't give you."

"Wrong. There's only one thin' ya can't give me an' Ah've decided Ah don' even wan' kids." the words were whispered sadly, earning him a concerned look from Dwayne; urging him to explain, "Jus' because Ah don' have mah brother's illness don' mean Ah don' carry it, it had to come from somewhere in mah genes. Ah don' want to have a kid only ta 'ave them suffer an' run away lik' Cade did. It'd jus' 'bout kill me if tha' happened." Dwayne nodded understandingly as he stared up at Chris. The younger man forced a weak smile and a half-hearted joke to fix the mood.

"An' anyways, if'n Ah did e'er wan' one Ah could always adopt like tha' nice couple we helped or have on of the girls help me out. Keepin' it in the NCIS family." The younger man grinned widely at his own joke as Dwayne scoffed softly and gently pushed him off so they were lying next to each other. Chris smiled softly at him and took his hand.

"Tha' wha's been botherin' yu, Dwayne? Ya worried about yer age and gender?" His reply came as the other man turning his head away. Chris frowned softly and moved closer. He laid an arm over Dwayne's chest and snuggled into the crook of his arm.

"Ya know, Dwayne, it doesn' matter ta me. Ya make me feel like the luckiest guy in the world. Ah've ne'er been with anyone tha' makes me feel as loved as ya do." He gently urged his friend to look at him, "Not even Savannah, mah dream girl, made me feel the way yu do." the confession confused Dwayne as he looked over the serene expression on Chris' face.

"Why"

"tha's easy. They didn' rescue me from being a monster and spend almost e'eryday of the past ten years makin' me love life again. Before yu, Ah ne'er knew a person coul' care so much 'bout someone else." He smirked suddenly, "Plus, Ah love yer hair. Almost killed me when we had ta dye it for the undercover mission." The young man gave a snort of laughter at his own confession as Dwayne simply rolled his eyes and chuckled softly.

"Well, anyway. Now we got tha' all figured out. Ya wanna talk 'bout tha' kiss this mornin'?" Chris moved the arm draped over Dwayne's chest down slightly and grabbed his hand. He smiled and linked their fingers as he rested his head on Dwayne's shoulder.

"What about it, Chris?"

"why're you makin' tha' face at me? Ah can't fix this, King, until Ah know wha's wrong." Dwayne sighed softly and kissed Chris' hair, he had hoped this topic would not come up again.

"Hard ta say, hard to explain."

"Don' like the kisses?"

"Tha's an even more complicated question." Dwayne shifted uncomfortably, "Physically, no, Ah'm not fond of 'em. It feels strange an' a tad unpleasant to say the least. Though, on a more intimate level Ah enjoy the way they make me feel, makes me feel closer to you, Chris."

"so, ol' mix o' good an' bad. Tha's a problem tha' we gotta fix." Chris rolled onto his stomach beside Dwayne and smiled at him, "They say practice makes perfect an' we don' even have ta do all tha' much of it." Chris whispered softly and shifted up slightly, bringing their faces closer together. He hummed softly and tenderly pressed their lips together. He sucked Dwayne's bottom lip slightly as the other man relaxed into the kiss.

"We jus' take it slow. Lil' bit at a time an' stop if'n it gets too weird fer yu, King." He released Dwayne's hand so that he could stroke his hair as they kissed. Chris watched his love as they continued, making sure to know when to stop. He watched as the other man's eyes got hazy from the blissful kiss, eyes starting to slip closed. Chris hummed to him and gently asked for entrance. Dwayne was hesitant but opened his mouth anyways, blinking in surprise when Chris did not enter and instead simply went on with a more passion-filled open-mouthed kiss.

Chris gently dragged his tongue along Dwayne's lip. He smiled into the kiss as Dwayne's tongue shyly met his. He moaned softly as they continued slowly. His fingers played with his love's hair, taking comfort in the relaxed state of Dwayne's posture. the older man was enjoying himself more now that the intrusion was minimal.

A soft alarm on Dwayne's phone sounded, it was time to leave and get the bar ready. A soft whine escaped the duo as they pulled apart. Dwayne pulled his phone out of his pocket and shut off the irritating sound. He smiled sadly and pulled away from Chris, sitting up as the younger man pouted. The younger agent sat up as well and snuggled up against him. He kissed the crowsfeet at the corner of Dwayne's eye before resting his head on the other man's shoulder. He took his love's hand, their secret language conveying how happy he was they were making this work.

* * *

 _ **~*~End~*~**_

A/n: Much longer and sappier than originally planned. so sorry.


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